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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. root — of a plant
  3. tube — the underground
  4. race — humankind
  5. march — the month
  6. craft — a skill
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. craft — boats
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. pit — in a race
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. race — a contest
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. root — of a word
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. race — the arms race
  20. root — the cause
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. tube — a container
  23. march — music
  24. pit — a hole

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com